Are you ready for coach-a-geddon?
This year’s college football coaching carousel is expected to be one of most wide-ranging the sport has seen—perhaps ever—with a rash of midyear firings already ramping up speculation about further potential openings and a slew of recent calendar changes that could drag out the process deeper into December.
Eleven FBS teams are already in the various stages of conducting a coaching search, including eight from the four major conferences in the wake of LSU’s dismissal of Brian Kelly on Sunday, and more than $160 million worth of buyouts have already been agreed to. One of the previous high-water marks that is used as a modern measuring stick was when 14 major conference jobs came open (and 29 total) in the 2022 cycle that, similar to this one, had several major blueblood jobs fueling an active market.
2025 Coaching Carousel
One agent contacted by Sports Illustrated predicted, even before Kelly was axed, that we are likely to exceed that number by the time the NFL carousel starts casting an eye down to the college levels to spin things up even further. There also figures to be a robust market around Group of 5 jobs, due to some tenures coming to their natural conclusion and the potential for several notable names to move into bigger jobs.
Here’s a breakdown about what SI is hearing when it comes to a coaching carousel that may not stop spinning for quite awhile.
ACC
All eyes are on Florida State (3–4) over the next six weeks to see what the Seminoles do with Mike Norvell following a disappointing loss to Stanford that dropped the team to 0–4 in conference play and prompted a rare statement of non-support from athletic director Michael Alford. The focus on Tallahassee is notable given that it could be another major opening chasing after similar candidates to many of the other higher-profile gigs. Florida State could be on the hook for the second-biggest buyout in the sport’s history—money that the school, at least for now, does not have. That could change by December.
In an ideal world for some in the administration, the Noles would be able to turn things around down the stretch and kick any decision over Norvell’s future to 2026. The issue for many who support the program is that there was already a significant amount of investment in this season’s roster and the revamped Doak Campbell Stadium that there are question marks over the feasibility of running it all back and expecting better results with a coach who has won just one conference game in two seasons. Many prominent donors at the school, according to a source, have already soured on the current staff and the issue may come to a head sooner rather than later if the team doesn’t win out.
Many in the industry are also interested to see what transpires in Chapel Hill, N.C., given that things have not gone as planned on or off the field with the hire of Bill Belichick. Does the 73-year-old find an escape route? Does North Carolina admit to a mistake in order to go after a younger and better college fit? Do the Tar Heels simply keep the status quo? There will be no shortage of chatter about the Tar Heels until after the NFL carousel fully closes, although Belichick has done nothing this season to improve his standing in that league. Belichick dismissed the talk about his future recently and reiterated that he would be back, but that kind of talk is cheap during the season.
Things are being played much closer to the vest at Virginia Tech, where the school has set up a committee to recommend and vouch for candidates prior to a decision being made by school officials. Tech’s Board of Visitors recently approved several significant increases to the football budget moving forward, and there’s a growing expectation around Blacksburg, Va., that this will result in the hire of a proven, well-known head coach who has a quality track record. Whether Tech can lure, say, James Franklin in such an active market remains to be seen, but the Hokies appear to be far more ambitious than they have in the past.
Though it is far from the biggest opening, there’s also a lot of intrigue over what Stanford might do given that the program has had the most lead time after firing Troy Taylor in March. The school installed a new athletic director from outside of college athletics and has general manager Andrew Luck in charge of things, so this process is running differently.
“I’m fascinated by the model,” says one veteran athletic director. “Does that become the norm in a few years? I think it depends on the school and it depends on the people involved. Having a name like [Luck] has to resonate with people, but it’s not an easy thing to do a search in this environment, much less if you have no background [as an administrator].”
The ACC could well become the league that sees the most turnover either via coaches getting shown the door or by unexpected departures for bigger jobs. Louisville’s Jeff Brohm and Georgia Tech’s Brent Key are both alums but have been mentioned for elite-level jobs and will be in line to receive fresh contracts and greater resources at their current programs even if they don’t leave. Duke’s Manny Diaz is quite happy in Durham, N.C., but will be a name that comes up given his solid track record, while SMU’s Rhett Lashlee may be the top choice at a number of places in the SEC if he were to entertain leaving Dallas.
There’s also interesting situations brewing that could go a number of different ways, including Cal with Justin Wilcox and NC State’s Dave Doeren. Both have been in their current jobs for a long stretch and results have trailed off as of late. There are new decision makers in Berkeley, including GM Ron Rivera, to factor in even before getting to what the potential costs will be. When it comes to the Wolfpack, it’s possible that an overly active carousel could result in Doeren sticking around for a 14th season with increased resources to spend on the roster in lieu of a search that might not yield the big upgrade some in the fan base are hoping for.
Big 12
Beyond the already open Oklahoma State, two situations that are top of mind in the conference are Colorado’s Deion Sanders and Baylor’s Dave Aranda.
In Boulder, Colo., the conversation over Sanders’s future has less to do with the regression the Buffaloes are experiencing on the field than the coach’s general well being. The Hall of Famer has undergone several surgeries for blood clots in his legs and his offseason bladder cancer diagnosis added further concerns. Without Travis Hunter or any of his sons to coach, there are fewer ties that could keep Sanders around, and many within the coaching community would not be surprised if he steps aside, creating an interesting opening at Colorado.
As for Baylor, most in the industry are starting to view the job in Waco, Texas, as increasingly likely to come open no matter how the Bears finish the season. The school considered firing Aranda last year before a season-ending six-game winning streak. Baylor invested in the roster during the offseason, but the Bears have been inconsistent in 2025—and quite suspect on the side of the ball their head coach specializes in. One unique factor to consider is the timing at Baylor given that athletic director Mack Rhoades sits as the chair of the College Football Playoff selection committee. No matter when a decision is made, this is otherwise viewed as a coveted job that will have no shortage of candidates. Should Baylor make a change, don’t be surprised if the school opts for a more offensive-minded coach.
The hot seats seem to have mostly cooled off with Arizona’s Brent Brennan (who is 4–3) and Cincinnati’s Scott Satterfield (who is 7–1). But it’s possible there could be a few departures from the league for other jobs that create additional Big 12 openings.
Houston’s Willie Fritz is quite content with the Cougars but has been mentioned as a candidate for a handful of bluebloods, while Kansas’s Lance Leipold will naturally be connected to openings in the Big Ten (particularly Wisconsin, if it opens). It’s going to be difficult to pry Kenny Dillingham away from Arizona State or Kalani Sitake away from BYU, but that doesn’t mean some schools won’t try—nor will such calls go unheard. Could this also be the year Matt Campbell finally leaves Iowa State? Between some of the big-time jobs out there already and previous NFL interest (he’s interviewed several times in recent seasons), it wouldn’t be shocking, despite the natural affection he has for Ames, Iowa, and what he’s built with the Cyclones.
Finally, Utah’s Kyle Whittingham, age 65, remains on retirement watch after every season. There wouldn’t be much search drama, though, since the school already has defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley lined up as coach-in-waiting.
Big Ten
Curt Cignetti’s massive new deal at Indiana could slow some of the dominoes falling in the Big Ten, but it sure won’t put a stop to them. Naturally, there will be plenty of speculation surrounding Penn State after pulling the ripcord on Franklin, but the Nittany Lions now have to contend for top coaching talent with LSU and Florida open. This is still a high-end gig with all the resources needed to compete for a national title and regular CFP appearances, but it could be a more complicated search for Penn State now.
All indications, both publicly and privately, is that an established head coach will be the direction the school goes. Speculation centered on alum Matt Rhule until he signed a new deal to remain at Nebraska on Thursday, despite an unspectacular tenure there to this point. Give credit to the Nittany Lions for being the primary market driver on extensions and raises so far this cycle.
While several coaches have won enough to cool down some of their hot-seat talk (Northwestern’s David Braun being tops among them), that’s not the case at Wisconsin. The fan base is certainly unhappy with the way things have gone under Luke Fickell and there remains a strong possibility that this is a 2–10 campaign at a school which went to a bowl game 22 consecutive seasons from 2002 to ’23. As always, program patriarch Barry Alvarez will have some sort of input into any kind of decision, but there are plenty of unknowns around embattled AD Chris McIntosh and major boosters’ willingness to pony up a $25 million buyout plus additional costs related to bringing in a new staff. They won’t lack for candidates should they pull the trigger.
Two other situations to monitor are Michigan State and Mayland. Jonathan Smith’s honeymoon is long over in East Lansing, Mich., with the Spartans 3–5 and in danger of another losing season. He hasn’t established a program identity or created any juice with the fan base. There’s a new school president and a new athletic director who didn’t hire him, and Smith very much feels like a better fit on the West Coast. He’d be in the mix should Jedd Fisch depart Washington for his alma mater (Florida) and could wind up being involved in the UCLA search, too. Sources say the Bruins are aiming a tad higher in terms of landing an established head coach, but Smith is from Pasadena and had an excellent track record at Oregon State and as an offensive coordinator for the Huskies. File away Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein as one option for the Spartans should the job open up.
Mike Locksley also finds himself reporting to an athletic director who didn’t hire him and is facing yet another late-season swoon on the field. Though the Terps did match their win total from 2024 already, they’ve lost three in a row going into a game against No. 2 Indiana and will play three of the final four Big Ten games on the road. His buyout sits around $13 million for a school which has struggled to balance the books so it could be a good test case for an administration feeling out an active market and deciding they could be in a better position next year while retaining some of the young talent that has already shown flashes on the field in 2025.
Elsewhere, Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz seems more energized than he did just a few years ago but is at the age (70) where retirement speculation won’t stop until temperatures warm up. USC appears pot-committed for 2026 with Lincoln Riley no matter what transpires the rest of the year in L.A., and Oregon remains pretty confident that Dan Lanning will be the guy long term in Eugene, Ore., despite all the rumors about SEC jobs that constantly pop up. Minnesota won’t be looking to make a change by any stretch of the imagination, but that doesn’t mean P.J. Fleck stays put in the Twin Cities given all the openings that may be available this cycle.
SEC
Rationality and SEC programs are not often linked together and after experiencing a fairly quiet two years on the carousel, things could become incredibly active in the conference on both the incoming and outgoing front.
And it centers on one person.
“Lots of folks are going to be waiting on Lane [Kiffin],” says one source.
Indeed, Kiffin appears to be the belle of the ball this year and is in prime position to either stay at a place where he’s surrounded by family at Mississippi, take the Florida job where he is the top candidate of those in charge or make his way to the marquee opening on the market in LSU.
The problem with all that is two-fold. First, he certainly can’t coach all three jobs at once and, second, there’s the little matter of the timing. Right now the Rebels are firmly in line to make the playoff and could even host a game in Oxford, Miss., if they win out. That is set to take place the weekend of Dec. 20 for the first round and should Ole Miss win such a game, would then make Kiffin unavailable until at least Jan. 2 for any school that would formally want his services (that’s also when the portal opens).
Of course, that is why he has the powerful Jimmy Sexton as an agent, and both Sexton and his peers in similar spots representing coaches will be busy no matter what Kiffin decides.
At Arkansas, there are several supporters still holding out (currently fading) hope that Bobby Petrino will get the interim tag removed, but there is also a vocal faction of key boosters hoping to bring alum Lashlee home. The Razorbacks are in a good position to land an upgrade on Sam Pittman this cycle either way, but this has all the hallmarks of a search that could get a little off the rails before somebody ultimately steps on stage to call the Hogs.
Things are a bit more complicated at other places even if the noise is a bit quieter.
At Kentucky, Mark Stoops’s buyout is doing a lot of work for him amid the Wildcats’ slide on the field and it feels like the school could go any direction. While the top-line figure of nearly $38 million looks modest compared to the amounts paid to jettison Kelly and Franklin, the latter coaches have their payments spread out over the course of several years and will likely mitigate the overall cost by getting new jobs. Stoops is due the entire amount within 60 days and there’s no offset language either.
That amount is almost double what Jimbo Fisher got to walk away within a similar time frame (just shy of a $20 million lump sum plus monthly payments) and a massive check to cut for literally every athletic department in the country. Boosters are restless, but perhaps the arrival of basketball season (where they’ve spent plenty of money already) and a few more wins down the stretch can make it more of a next year discussion around Lexington, Ky. It’s also not completely off the table though.
Down on the Plains, Hugh Freeze is feeling the heat and school officials at Auburn are doing nothing to damper the discussion. His buyout is modest given what some of his peers are in line to receive and there’s been a real frustration over his hire being made in the first place to revive the offense, only for that to become the team’s Achilles’ heel. It’s going to feel like every Saturday will be a referendum on Freeze’s tenure until he’s either let go or gets the public show of support he desperately wants.
It’s also worth keeping an eye on Eli Drinkwitz at Missouri as being a prime candidate to fill a bigger job. A source close to Clark Lea downplayed all the speculation about him leaving Vanderbilt for one of the bluebloods that are open, but that doesn’t mean his name won’t be discussed elsewhere.
Group of 5
The general direction of travel, the value athletic directors are putting on having head coaching experience and a dash of conference realignment could make this a particularly absurd time for Group of 5 schools.
In the American, Army’s Jeff Monken, Memphis’s Ryan Silverfield, North Texas’s Eric Morris, USF’s Alex Golesh, Tulane’s Jon Sumrall and UTSA’s Jeff Traylor will all be a factor in Power 4 openings. Conference USA feels fairly stable but there could be so many openings that Liberty’s Jamey Chadwell finally gets his move and Western Kentucky’s Tyson Helton is in the same boat for either a bigger G5 job or to land in one of the power conferences. The latter may also be a name you hear for major offensive coordinator openings.
Things are a bit more complicated in the MAC, where money is extremely tight and much of the league already turned over last year. Kent State just took the interim tag off of Mark Carney and most of the other spots could be a case of guys moving on more than anything. Joe Moorhead could find work as a coordinator elsewhere but is in a precarious situation with a new athletic director and just 11 wins without any bowl games in four years. Toledo’s Jason Candle is another veteran coach who might have maxed out what he can do at the Glass Bowl and has had discussions in prior years to take either coordinator jobs or other head coaching positions. That would be a coveted gig in the conference if it opens, likewise if Western Michigan does the same after Lance Taylor finally has gotten things going with the Broncos. It’s worth noting that Northern Illinois is just 2–6 under Thomas Hammock in Year 7 and is also moving to a new conference in the Mountain West. He’s an alum who turned in the biggest win in school history last year, so it’s a complicated situation.
The amalgamation of programs across the new-look Pac-12 and Mountain West could also wind up with a number of coaching searches whether they want them or not. Oregon State is already open and so too is Colorado State, which is gathering plenty of inquiries as the Rams are a very attractive Group of 5 spot. Boise State’s Spencer Danielson, New Mexico’s Jason Eck, San Diego State’s Sean Lewis, UNLV’s Dan Mullen and Utah State’s Bronco Mendenhall could all pop up elsewhere at Power 4 jobs. Nevada fans may want to move on from Jeff Choate as one of the few coaches on a hot seat but, unless he takes a position elsewhere, he will be back for Year 3 in Reno.
Exes and FCSes
As much as the number of openings will be a massive storyline this year, so too will be the number of high-profile former coaches who will at least be in the mix to return as a head coach elsewhere.
The most interesting name might be former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald, who would like another Power 4 job this cycle. He’ll be in the mix for any Big Ten or Midwestern opening but isn’t afraid to leave his comfort zone for the right fit. He’d make sense at Stanford, but it might be tough for the school to justify given what he settled a lawsuit around at his alma mater over the summer.
The bolder face names trying to get back in are Jimbo Fisher and, yes, Jon Gruden. It does not sound like the latter is willing to go the route of a Trent Dilfer and wind up at a Group of 5 school to get his foot in the door of college coaching, and his market might not quite be so robust when it comes to some of the big-time gigs in the SEC (or ACC). Still, all it takes is one school and some in the industry are already doing some background work on the former Super Bowl winner just in case. Fisher might be a little more accepting of dropping down a level but should still be in the mix for a few Power 4 openings.
Former Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst has popped up as a potential name at a few places as well and ex-Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson could be tempted to return with a headset on in the right spot. National title winner Ed Orgeron is not being shy about drumming up interest in getting back into coaching but will at least be back on the sideline as an assistant coach if nothing else. Former West Virginia coach Neal Brown is also a name to file away, especially for any openings in the Sun Belt or the American.
Also don’t discount the FCS-to-FBS movement continuing even more, not just because of success stories like Cignetti at Indiana and others, but because of the value ADs are putting on having experience nowadays when it comes to building a roster and it truthfully becoming a little easier to sell to various fan bases. Timing could complicate a departure for North Dakota State’s Tim Polasek but he has Power 4 experience as an assistant and there are a wealth of names in the Big Sky who almost certainly will be in the mix for several jobs, including Montana State’s Brent Vigen and UC Davis’s Tim Plough. Tarleton State’s Todd Whitten also fits the mold of somebody like Cignetti as a 21-year coaching veteran who is currently No. 2 in the FCS polls with an undefeated team.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Intel Across the Active 2025 College Football Coaching Carousel.